Never Having Enough?
Contentment Prayer Lord, help me be grateful for what I have, remember that I don’t need most of what I want, and that joy is found in simplicity and generosity. It’s been nearly ten years since I first wrote Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity. More than 150,000 readers have found this little book helpful as they have sought the Bible’s wisdom regarding prudent financial practices. This year, my publisher, Abingdon Press, and I decided to revise the book and re-release it. Behind its beautiful new cover, you’ll find updated statistics and a new introduction and epilogue. Enough is as relevant today as when it was first released. In a culture where having “enough” seems to have become a never-ending pursuit, the Bible invites us to live differently. And that’s what I explore in this revised edition. I hope you’ll rediscover truths, drawn from Scripture that previous generations knew: We find joy and fulfillment in simplicity, relationships, a clear sense of purpose, generosity, and faith. These are the keys to experiencing the good life. There is no sin in having wealth. Money itself is morally neutral. It can be used for good or evil. Much of the problem with wealth arises when we make the desire for more—more money and material possessions—a driving focus in our lives. That is what we must avoid. My hope is that readers of this book, to the degree that we all struggle with a desire for more, will see our material wealth with new eyes and come to be seized by the truth Jesus taught in Luke 12:15: “One’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Paul wrote to the Corinthians that God is able to bless us with all that we need so that we “may share abundantly in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, echoed Paul’s teaching when he urged Christians to make and save all they can through honest and honorable means—so they can give all they can. When we choose to believe that life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions, but is found in relationships, in our faith, and in living purposeful lives, we become liberated to live the life that God intends for us. We find that we do, indeed, have enough. During the next few weeks on the blog, I’ll be sharing excerpts from the revised edition of Enough. If you would like to learn more about Enough or the stewardship program or small group study resources based upon it, please click here. (Scroll to the bottom of the page to view the downloadable resources and the promo videos for Enough.)